Ladies & Gents: Hamburg tournament director Björn Kroll talks combined indoor event

During semifinal Saturday of the Hamburg Ladies & Gents Cup, tournament director Björn Kroll shared his thoughts on the 2025 edition of the ATP Challenger 50/ITF World Tennis Tour W75 combined indoor event held at the facilities of the Hamburg Tennis Association.

The 48-year-old Kroll, who has long been active in tennis administration and works closely with both ATP and ITF tournaments, reflected on the success of this year’s tournament, the organizational challenges facing event directors, and the uncertain future of the venue.

TENNIS.COM: Mr. Kroll, how would you sum up this year’s tournament?

BJÖRN KROLL: The conclusion is very positive. It was extremely crowded—during the first few days, it was almost impossible to get through the entrance area, which is fantastic. That’s certainly also because many German players were competing—not only young talents but also experienced names like Mona Barthel and Cedrik-Marcel Stebe. It’s a great mix. Of course, players like Justin Engel, our defending champion Henri Squire, or local favorite Tessa Brockmann attract a lot of fans who are eager to see how our German players perform against international professionals at this level.

TENNIS.COM: This year again, the tournament was held as a combined event. Last year, the ITF women’s event and the ATP Challenger were staged separately. Which version do you prefer as an organizer?

BJÖRN KROLL: I think everyone involved finds it much cooler when it’s a combined event. The atmosphere is better and there’s simply more going on. I know that not all players feel the same way, but as long as there are no restrictions for them, it’s fine. After all, at the Grand Slams men and women also play together. We are, of course, a smaller indoor event, so we have to make a few compromises here and there. We took the players’ feedback from previous years seriously and improved several aspects. This year, we didn’t receive any negative feedback at all.

The tournament takes place in a federation-owned facility, which is rather unusual for a Challenger these days. How do you see this event positioned within the Challenger Tour?

BJÖRN KROLL: I’ve been to many Challenger events around the world, and there’s a huge range in quality. For instance, in Quimper or Rennes in France, they have light shows and the whole setup feels like an ATP 500. But I’ve also been to Challengers where you’d think our local club championships are better organized. It’s true that most events take place in rented arenas or clubs. Our advantage is that the tournament is held in our own federation hall—meaning we have full control. The downside is, of course, space. We had to rent additional courts to ensure a smooth schedule. I don’t think there are many combined events like ours left under such conditions.

TENNIS.COM: The organizational requirements for tournaments are becoming increasingly complex. What do you find most challenging?

BJÖRN KROLL: We have to distinguish between ATP and ITF events. The ATP’s requirements have increased tremendously in recent years. You receive a detailed manual that specifies everything—down to how many kilos of laundry a bag must hold. Since I also work at major ATP and WTA tournaments, I can compare, and the expectations are becoming very similar. You sometimes wonder why, and the explanation is that the ATP wants tournaments to become more professional. That makes sense, but it also means higher costs and more organization. Many tournament directors are struggling to keep up.

With the ITF, it’s not as extreme; the requirements have increased, but at a reasonable pace. The ATP’s expectations, however, are very high, and that’s making it harder for many events to survive. Additionally, there’s a growing focus on hosting more tournaments in Asia and Saudi Arabia. It’ll be interesting to see how that develops.

In Germany, following a DTB (German Tennis Federation) initiative, we’ve gained many smaller 15K and 25K ITF events, but at the higher levels, more tournaments are disappearing. That’s a pity, because we need all of them to offer players a proper platform—especially in winter, when the tournament landscape here is quite thin.

TENNIS.COM: So, will we see this tournament in the same format and location again next year?

BJÖRN KROLL: Most likely not at this venue. A lot is changing here. The hall is very old, even under monument protection, and quite run-down. The Hamburg Tennis Association is currently discussing what needs to be done during this winter season. Our goal is to move the tournament outdoors in the summer as a combined event. There are different options, but we’d like to keep two or three tournaments in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.

We believe we’re capable of continuing to organize them financially and with the necessary manpower. We receive strong support from the City of Hamburg, the regional sports federation in Kiel, the North-East regional league, and the German Tennis Federation. The only question is finding the right slot. Demand for summer Challenger dates is extremely high, so we’ll apply early with the ATP. But ultimately, the decision isn’t in our hands.